Here are some recommended things to do after installing elementary OS 7 “Horus”.
After much rumour and speculation, elementary OS 7 “Horus” is finally released, based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS “Jammy Jellyfish”. This release is moderate in terms of features and updates. In a nutshell, it’s more of a stepping stone for future releases as per as the core features go.
That said, if you have already finished installing elementary OS 7, then you might consider the following tips to customize and explore this beautiful Linux distribution.
Table of Contents
Things to Do After Installing elementary OS 7 “Horus”
1. Update your system
After you boot into the new desktop, open the terminal and run the following command to ensure your system is up to date.
sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade
After completing the above command, open AppCenter from the dock or application menu. Ensure that all the system updates and driver changes are installed. You can click on the download links to complete this step.
Reboot your system after the above steps are complete.
2. Install Pantheon Tweaks
You want to install the Pantheon Tweaks tool for additional settings and customisation settings. It gives you a few more extra settings for the Pantheon desktop.
To install it, use the following set of commands:
sudo apt install software-properties-common sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:philip.scott/pantheon-tweaks sudo apt install -y pantheon-tweaks
Once the installation is complete, open System Settings and launch Tweaks.
After installation, open System Settings, and you can find the Tweaks option.
A detailed installation guide is available here (if you need more information).
3. Configure Dock
The default bottom dock in elementary OS 7 Horus includes basic apps such as a browser, music, photos, etc. If you want, you can rearrange them, add new items or remove them from the dock.
- To remove: Right-click and uncheck the Keep in Dock option.
- To add new items: Click on Application at the top. Then right-click on the application icon which you want in the dock. Select Add to Dock.
In my opinion, you should add at least – a screenshot tool, terminal, and Calculator – among other things. And remove the ones you don’t need.
4. Enable Minimize and Maximize Option
Many users prefer the Maximize and Minimize window buttons at the left or right of the window title bar. The elementary OS only gives you close and restore options by default, which is completely fine because of how it’s designed. However, you can use Pantheon Tweaks to enable it via Tweaks > Appearance > Window Controls.
5. Customize Hot Corners
The hot corners are powerful in the elementary OS, improving your workflow and saving time if customized properly. Four hot corners are available – top left, top right, bottom left, and bottom right. You can customize each with commands and launch custom applications when the mouse pointer reaches those corners. In elementary OS 7, you can run custom shell commands or any executable of your choice.
I recommend setting up screenshots and launching a multi-tasking view in your favourite corner.
6. Change the look and feel
The stock look of elementary is excellent! You don’t need to customize it further. However, individual choices make each one of us different.
Hence, head over to settings > Desktop to find the light/dark mode, change wallpaper, customize panels and many more features.
7. Install Additional Applications
The stock installation of the elementary OS only brings basic apps. You need additional apps if you plan to use them for a productive time ahead.
The AppCenter features only curated apps for elementary OS, which you may want to check out.
However, thanks to sideloading, you can install third-party apps from Flathub and other sources.
I would recommend you install the following apps.
- Firefox
- LibreOffice
- GIMP
- Inkscape
- OBS Studio
- Any notepad such as Gedit
8. Customize power and battery settings
In elementary OS 7, you get to choose three different power profiles – “power saver”, “balanced”, and “performance”. You can also tweak it based on the “plugged in” or “battery mode”. Access this setting under Power via settings.
Furthermore, I recommend installing TLP for a more efficient power management solution. All you need to do is install it, and it will take care of the rest. Here’s the command to install.
sudo apt install tlp
sudo systemctl enable tlp.service
9. Install a Disk Utility
One important app which you definitely install is any tool for disk management or managing USB sticks. None is provided by default in elementary OS.
It will help you quickly format any USB stick, create a bootable USB, view partitions, and do many other tasks.
I would recommend you install gnome-disk-utility or GParted. The command to install them is below.
sudo apt install gnome-disk-utility gparted
10. Configure gestures
One of the underrated features of elementary OS is gesture support. You can customize three and four-finger gestures in four directions for various activities to transition between workspaces more smoothly. You can find it under Settings > Mouse and Touchpad > Gestures.
Closing Notes
These tips are entirely based on preferences, and I hope these give you an idea to customize the elementary OS 7 desktop as per your own taste and workflow. This list I prepared considers all types of users to cover most of the user base.
I hope it helps.
Let me know if you think some neat trick can be added here.
